Teatime Recipes

Teatime Recipes

Scones: A Classic

8 ounces sifted, self-rising flour
3-4 tablespoons flour for dusting board
Pinch of salt
2 ounces butter, softened
1 ounce sugar
1 medium egg, beaten
3 ounces milk
Beaten egg or milk to glaze scones

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with butter, then dredge with flour.

Mix together flour and salt. Rub or cut in the butter as lightly as possible until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Add the egg and bind the mixture together with a fork. Gradually add the milk to form a fairly stiff dough.

Turn the dough onto a floured board and gently roll out to a thickness of 1 inch. Cut out circles with a 1 ½” cutter dipped in flour. (Alternatively, roll into a large circle, then cut the dough into eight triangles.)

Place scones, almost touching, on the prepare baking sheet and brush with egg or milk to glaze.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until firm and light golden. Remove from oven and place on wire rack. Cover immediately with a cloth to keep the steam in. This helps make the scones soft and moist.

Crumpets

12 ounces sifted, plain flour
½ teaspoon sugar
Pinch of salt
1 ounce fresh yeast
¾ pint warm milk
¼ pint warm water
2 medium eggs, beaten

Mix the flour with the sugar and salt in a bowl. Dissolve the yeast in a little of the warm milk, and add

to the flour with the remaining milk, the water and the beaten eggs. Beat hard to form a smooth batter and leave in a warm place for about an hour.

Beat again thoroughly and leave to stand in a warm place for another thirty minutes. Repeat this process once more, beating and standing again for thirty minutes.

Place a griddle or heavy fry pan over a low to moderate heat and leave for a few minutes to reach a steady overall temperature. Place 4-5 crumpet rings (can use cookie cutter rings) on the griddle or pan and then spoon a little batter, (2 tbsp) into each ring. Leave for about 6-8 minutes until the underside is light brown, then turn the rings over carefully and brown the other side, again for about 6-8 minutes until light brown.

Transfer carefully to a wire rack to cool. Remove the rings and repeat the cooking procedure as above until all the batter is used up. Toast the crumpets before serving.
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Muffins (biscuits to Americans)
Butter or margarine to grease baking trays
1 pound sifted, plain flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ ounce fresh yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
½ pint warm milk

Grease two large, heavy baking trays.

Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, cream the yeast with the sugar until smooth and mix into the flour with a little of the warm milk. Add the rest of the milk and mix with a fork to form a stiff dough.

In the bowl, knead the dough well for 5-10 minutes. Leave the bowl in a warm place for 60-90 minutes, covered, until dough has doubled in size. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead again until smooth and elastic.

Roll the dough out to a thickness of about ½ inch. Cut out circles using a 3-inch cutter dipped in flour. Place the circles on the prepared trays and leave in a warm place for 10-15 minutes until doubled in size. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Bake about 7-8 minutes until slightly browned on top. Turn the muffins over carefully and cook for a further 7-8 minutes to brown the other side. Remove the muffins from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool

Welsh Cakes
8 ounces sifted plain flour, plus some for dusting the board
3 ounces sugar
Pinch of salt
¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 ounces butter, softened, plus some for greasing griddle
3 ounces currants (or raisins)
1 medium egg, beaten
1-2 tablespoons warm. Milk (optional)

Mix together the flour, sugar, salt and nutmeg in a bowl. Rub or cut in the fat until the mixture begins to

stick together. Add the currants and egg and mix with a fork to form a stiff dough. If the dough is too dry, add a little milk.

Roll out the dough on a floured board to a thickness of ¾ inch and cut into circles with a 3-inch cutter dipped in flour.

Warm the griddle to a moderate heat and grease well. Leave for a few minutes to reach an even, all-over temperature, but do not let it get too hot or the cakes will burn before the insides are cooked.

Lay 4-5 cakes carefully on the griddle and leave to cook slowly (8-10 minutes for each side). When the undersides are browned, carefully turn over with a spatula and leave to brown on the other side. Repeat until all cakes are cooked.

Remove the cakes carefully to a wire rack as they are cooked and wrap in a linen cloth until all the cakes are ready to serve.

Pound Cake

6 ounces butter, softened plus some to grease the pan
6 ounces sugar
3 medium eggs
8 ounces sifted, plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powde
Pinch of salt
Pinch of baking soda
1 ounce caraway seeds
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon milk, at room temperature

Heat the oven to 350 degrees, then grease and line a 7 inch round cake pan or 9X5 loaf pan.

Cream the fat and sugar together until light and fluffy. Place the eggs in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, and beat until pale and thick. Beat the eggs into the fat and sugar mixture.

Mix together all the dry ingredients and fold into the mixture with a wooden spoon. Add the milk and mix well.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 1 to 1 ½ hours until golden and firm. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Shortbread

12 ounces sifted self-rising flour
4 ounces corn flour
8 ounces slightly salted or unsalted butter
Butter to grease tins
6 ounces sugar
Few drops of almond extract

Heat oven to 325 degrees and grease and line 7-inch round tins, preferably loose-bottomed or with a

sliding metal rod to loosen the cakes.

Mix the flour and corn flour together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the almond extract and beat again. Gradually combine with dry ingredients to make a very light, crumbly mixture.

Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and press down firmly. Smooth the tops very carefully. Mark, do not cut, each into 8 portions and prick the pattern over the top with fork prongs.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until light golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 5-10 minutes before turning out. To serve, cut or break along the marked lines.

Shrewsbury Biscuits 

4 ounces butter, plus some to grease the pan

4 ounces sugar, plus some to sprinkle the biscuits

2 tsp lemon zest

2 ounces currants (or raisins)

6 ounces sifted, plain flour, plus some to flour board and hands

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a large baking tray.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the zest, currants, and flour. Then using floured hands, knead to a stiff paste in the bowl.

Roll out the paste on a floured board to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Cut out circles using a 3 inch cutter dipped in flour. Place the circles on prepared tray.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until biscuits turn very pale golden. Do not overcook. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with sugar. Allow to cool on tray for 2-3 minutes before lifting the biscuits onto a wire rack to cool completely.

(Photo credit: By Emerald-wiki - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Macaroons

1 medium egg white

3 ounces ground almonds

3 1/2 ounces sugar plus some to sugar hands

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

12-13 split blanched almonds

Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Beat the egg white until stiff, then fold in the ground almonds, sugar, and almond extract. With sugared hands, take teaspoonfuls of the mixture and roll between your palms to form small balls.

Place the balls on the parchment paper, spaced well apart, and press a blanched almond on top of each.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden-brown. Remove from oven and leave to cool completely on the baking tray.

Chocolate Squares

4 ounces sifted, self-rising flour

2 ounces cocoa powder

4 ounces margarine, softened

8 ounces soft brown sugar

2 medium eggs, beaten

1/4 pint milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 ounces chopped walnuts (optional)

4 ounces raisins

Heat the oven to 325 degrees and grease and line an 8" square pan.

Mix the flour and cocoa together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, cream the margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, a little at a time, beating hard between each addition. Gradually mix in the flour and cocoa, beating in a little of the milk between each addition. Stir in the vanilla, nuts, and raisins.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes until risen and firm on top. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan. When cold, cut into 16 squares and remove from the pan.

Pound Cake

1 pounded sifted, plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

8 ounces softened butter plus some to grease pan

8 ounces sugar

4 medium eggs

Zest from one lemon

2 ounces mixed candied peel

8 ounces currants or raisins

2 ounces finely chopped blanched almonds (optional)

2 fluid ounces brandy or sherry

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees and grease and line a 9-inch cake round.

Mix together flour and baking powder. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and adding 1 tablespoon of flour with each egg. Add the lemon rind and beat thoroughly.

With a spoon, fold in the rest of the flour, candied peel, currants, and almonds. Mix to ensure all ingredients are evening distributed. Stir in the brandy or sherry.

Turn the batter into the tin and bake for 2-2 1/2 hours until a skewer comes out clean. Turn out onto wire rack to cool. Can serve sprinkled with powdered sugar or your favorite glaze.